Efficient Energy-Conversion Materials for the Future: Understanding and Tailoring Charge-Transfer Processes in Carbon Nanostructures

The versatility of carbon-based nanomaterials in terms of structural and electronic properties renders them broadly applicable electro-active components for future energy devices. Throughout the past decades we laid the fundamental basis for understanding and tailoring the charge transfer characteristics of carbon nanomaterials ranging from fullerenes and carbon nanotubes to graphene as well as chemically modified derivatives. Fullerenes are essential for understanding unidirectional charge transport and transfer phenomena at the molecular level, while with carbon nanotubes and graphene efficient intrinsic bidirectional transport and transfer are realized. Such a plethora of nanomaterials fosters the idea of developing functional all carbon-based devices. With the fundamental knowledge of key processes in nanocarbon-based charge transfer systems in hand we are contributing towards tackling future energy aspects. As such, we work towards the UN sustainable development goal, that is, supplying affordable and clean energy for the benefit of our society